Locomotive superheater



Dec. 4 1923.

M. M. CROWLEY LOCOMOTIVE SUPERHEATER Filed May 14, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. M/mc/wmf) A TTORNEYS.

Dec. .4, 1923.

. 1,476,150 M. M. CROWLEY LOCOMOTIVE SUPERHEATER Filed May 14 l2l 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7

I I a INVENTOR. MM C POWZEX A TTORNEYS/ Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,476,150 PATENT OFFICE.

IICEAIEL M. CROWLEY, 0F SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

LOCOIOTIVE SUPEBHEATEB.

Application filed May 14, 1921. Serial Ro. 469,458.

To all whom it comm:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL M. CROWLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resi dent of Sioux City in the county of Woodbury and State of tain new and useful lmprov ements in Loco-. motive Superheaters, of which the followin is a specification.

the present superheater locomotives the throttle-valve i positioned to open and close the dry-pipe or passage which conducts the saturated steam to the superheating elements. Such arrangement suffers from the fact that when the throttle-valve is closed no steam enters the superheating units which are exposed to excessive heat, and, therefore, a damper must be provided for shielding the superheating units from the heat when the throttle-valve is closed, and if the damper becomes inoperable or is not operated, a locomotive failure results, due to warpin or fracture of the superheating units. urthermore, such appurtenances as the airpump, injectors, lubricators, train steam line, and perhaps other steam-receiving instrumentalities are fed saturated steam. Although desirable, it is impracticable to feed them superheated steam inasmuch as superheated steam is not available when the locomotive is at a stop.

My present invention, therefore, has for its primary object the production of a system wherein the superheated steam passage to the propelling mechanism actuating means is throttled, thus obviatin damper means for shielding the superheatmg elements and permitting the feeding of superheated steam to the other steam-receiving appurtenances and instrumentalities.

Still another object of the invention is the production in a superheater locomotive of an improved superheater. header.

Furthermore, the invention contemplates a superheater header adapted to be readily installed, readily aecessible for repairs and thesaturated steam passes to the superheating units, and having 'asecond compartment to conduct steam tothe propelling mecha nism actuating means, the: other's'team re" A noipart of my present nvention, but serves {1 to "illustrate" those well-known parts "of the P eeiving appliances supplied withsu perheated' h "from t e second compart lowa, have invented oera compartment through which The above and other objects and'advantagesI successfully attain in the embodiment hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this appllcation and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevation of a locomotive boiler equipped with the preferred embodiment of the-invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the header with its dome omitted;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the same taken on the line 3-3 of F ig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical section of the same taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

described the preferred embodiment of the invention, I would not be understood as being limited to such specific construction, for various alterations and modifications may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts herein disclosed without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the appended claims.

Referring, now, to the illustrations, 10 represents the locomotive boiler shell, 11 the steam dome and its housing, 12; the boiler tubes are represented at 13, the vusual drypipe at 14, the front flue-sheet at 15; the superheater fluesare represented at 16, each enclosing a 'superheating pipe coilhaving an induction end,'-17,'and an eduction end, 18.; Of the propellingmechanism actuat ing means a the usual arch are shown in'par't; a

or steam pipes, 19,

The usual smoke-box, 50,is represented infront of the"flue-sheet,'151'- a r. p The mechanism abovede 'cn represents.

present superheater' locomotive with -*-whieh the device of my invention is directly associated.

My improved header is designed to supplant the usual header, and for its installation very little, if any, alteration of the arrarigement of the associated parts is essentia My'header is embodied preferably in an elongated casing, 20, which may be cast en bloc and is installed transversely of and within the smoke-box immediately in front of the front flue sheet, 15. An intermediate, horizontal partition, 21, divides the easing into an upper compartment, 22, and a lower compartment, 23. The center of the rear side of the casing is provided with a passage, 24, communicating with the compartment, 23, and having a flanged induction opening, 25, adapted to be secured to the end of the dry-pipe, 14, projecting through the flue-sheet, 15, which dry-pipe, as usual, receives saturated steam from the steam dome, 11. In the front end portion of the compartment, 23, is a longitudinal compartment, 26, afl'orded by a partition, 27, the end portions of said compartment, 26, being provided with flanged eduction openings, 28, to which are connected the arch pipes, 19, or steam pipes of the propelling mechanism actuating means. The top of the casing is formed integrally with an upwardlyextending, tubular passage, 29, communicating with the upper compartment, 22, and formed with a flange, 30, securing it to the under side of the smoke box plate, 50, the portion of the smoke box plate within the passage, 29, being provided with an openlng, 31. I

Within the passage, 29, is a duct, 32, communicating with the compartment, which establishes communication between the compartments, 22 and 26, such communication being controlled by a throttle manner.

valve, preferably including a'poppet valve, 33, adapted to co-act with a valve seat, 34, in the upper end of the passage, 32; and carried by a valve stem, 35, projecting through a cover or dome, 36, on the smokebox and enclosing the opening, 31, the said valve stem being encircled by a suitable packing gland,.37, on the dome. The throttle valve may be controlled in any suitable In the embodiment chosen for illustration, the dome, 36, is provided with a bearing, 38, on which is fulcrumed a bellcrank, 39, having one arm pivotally secured, asat 40, to the. valve stem, and the other arm pivoted to a rod, 41, which, it will be understood, is extended to the locomotive cab (not shown).

The bottom of the compartment, 23, is provided with eduction. openings, 42, with which openings the superheater pipe ends, 17, communicate. The said openings, 42, are arranged in spaced rows, disposed transintense versely of the casing, and between the said rows and formed integrally with the partition, 21, and the bottom of the casing are blocks, 43, having vertical passages, 44, which establish communication between the superheater pipe ends, 18, and the header compartment, 22.

It will now be clear that saturated steam from the dry-pipe, 14, entering the compartment, 23, through the flanged opening, 25, will pass through the superheating units and then enter the compartment, 22, and with the throttle valve open the superheated steam is conveyed to the main propelling mechanism actuating means through the passage, 32, compartment, 26, and eduction passages, 28. The term main propelling engines is hereiused to distinguish from trailer boosters, or other auxiliary propelling engines. I

The dome, 36, is provided with one or more eduction passages, 45, to which may be connected the feed pipes 46, for the airpump, injectors, lubricators, train steam line auxiliary propelling engines, dynamos, whistle, or other steam-receiving applianoes.

Briefly, therefore, my header may be said to embody three compartments or assages, one for saturated steam, one supp ying superheated steam for both the main motive power and any or all of the above-enumerated, or other steam receiving devices than the main propelling engines, and the third for superheated motive steam only, and in my specific form, the two latter compartments extend side by side to the upper wall of the smoke-box and are communicatively interconnected by a dome above the smokebox, the throttle-valve being positioned at the top of the motive steam compartment where it is readily accessible for repairs by merely removing the dome. Thus, the dome, in fact, forms a. part of the second compartment and aflords a convenient and eflicient mounting for the throttle-valvecontrolling means, as well as a connecting medium between the said second compartment and the steam-receiving devices other than the main propelling engines, whereby such devices are fed superheated steam regardless of the position of the throttle valve. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. In combination with a boiler of locomotive type, of a superheater header consisting of an integral casing supported within the smoke box and extending transversely across the same in its upper portion, said casing comprising a compartment disposed between the dry pipe of the boiler and the superheater units, a second compartment disposed upon the first compartment and receiving superheated steam from said superheater units, a third compartment disposed at the front of the other compartments and adapted to conduct superheated steam to the engine cylinders, said second and third compartments having upwardly projecting tubular extensions open at their upper ends and tightly secured at such upper end to the smoke box top plate, said plate'having a single opening therethrough extending over the open ends of said extensions, a dome tightly mounted on the outer face of said top plate and enclosing said opening and adapted to establish communication between the extensions of the second and. third compartments, said dome further provided with outlets adapted for communication with other steam actuated auxiliaries whereby superheated steam may be delivered to such auxiliaries, and a throttle valve mounted in the upperend of the extension of the third compartment, said valve extending throu h said dome and manually operable from t e locomotive cab.

'2. In combination with a boiler of locomotive type, of a superheater header consisting of a single casting supported within the smoke box of the boiler and extending transversely across the same in its upper portion, said casting comprising an elongated lower compartment extending parallel with the tube sheet of the boiler and providing a passage between the dry pipe and the superheater units, an elongated upper compartment disposed upon said lower com artment and receiving superheated steam rom the superheater units, an elongated third compartment, disposed at the front, of the other two compartments and adapted to conduct superheated steam to the main propelling engine steam pipes, said second and third compartments having upwardly projectingtubular extensions open at their upper ends and tightly secured at such upper end to the-smoke box top plate, said plate having a single opening therethrough extending over said oplen ends, a dome tightly mounted upon t e said top plate and enclosing its opening and adapted to establish communication between the second and third compartments, said dome further provided with outlets for communication with other steam actuated auxiliaries, and a throttle valve mounted in the upper end of the extension of the third compartment and manually operable through said dome from the locomotive cab. p v

3. In combination with a'boiler of locomotive" t of a superheater header consisting 0 a single casting supported within the smoke box and extending transversely across the same in the upper portion thereof, said header comprising a? compartment disposed between the dry pipe of the boiler and the superheater units, a. second compartment disposed upon the first compartment and recelving superheated steam from said superheater units. a third compartment disposed at the front of the other compartments and adapted to conduct superheated steam to the engine cylinders, said second and third compartments having upwardly projecting tubular extensions open at their upper ends, and tightly secured at such upper end to the smoke box plate, the tubular extension of the second compartment partly surrounding the extension of the third compartment, said top plate having a single opening therethrough extending over the open ends of said extensions, a dome tightly mounted upon the top plate outside the boiler and enclosing said opening, said dome establishing communication between the second and third compartments, said dome further provided with outlets for communication with other steam actuated auxiliaries, and a throttle valve mounted in the upper end of the extension of the third compartment, said valve extending through said dome and manually operable from the locomotive cab.

4. In a superheater of the class described, a header comprising an elongated casing adapted to be supported within the smoke box of the boiler and extend transversely across the same, said casing comprising an elongated lower chamber extending par allel with the tube sheet of the boiler, said chamber having transverse rows of openings in its bottom wall adapted to communicate with superheater units and a passage at its rear adapted to provide communication between the dry pipe and" the said superheater units, transverse rows of blocks having verticalpassages therethrough and through the bottom wall of the lower chamber andadapted to communicate with superheater units, the rows of blocks being alternatelydisposed between the first mentioned rows of openings, an elongated upper second chamber disposed upon said lower chamber, the 1 jecting tubular extensions open at their upper ends, and a throttle valve mounted in the upper end of the extension of the third chamber, said throttle valve being manually operable-from the locomotive cab to control the admission of superheated steam to the engine cylinders.

11 testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th da of April, 1921.

. MICHA L M. CROWLEY. 

